Takes place in the mainstream SHU future and is based off an image by Jerod.

A gray haired and wrinkle skinned Roger Stevens approached the cliff cautiously. He was one of the few remaining metahumans. But even his body was finally giving out. He needed to get this last mission completed so he could die in peace. The hooded figure waiting for him had agreed to help keep the legacy of Captain Freedom alive for future generations. Some thought Captain Freedom would live forever. But when the world plunged into darkness and was taken over by the combined might of Blackhorn and the Earth’s supervillain population something changed all that. Roger now found his body deteriorating rapidly due to some new disease. He figured he only had roughly a few weeks left to live before he passed on.

The hooded figure nodded grimly as Captain Freedom approached “did you have any trouble getting here?” the hooded one asked.

It was then that the other man noticed Freedom was bleeding profusely from his left leg. There was a gash going from his thigh all the way down to his calf. Roger was trying his best not to limp or grunt in pain. But the other man knew a bad wound when he saw it.

“Let me take a look at that for you.”

“Don’t worry about it Wrench, I’ll live…at least for a few days yet.”

“Think positive” Wrench replied “we’re working on a cure. Hyde and Brennon seem to be immune to any ill effects the Darkforce is causing on our bodies. With any luck we’ll have you all better before it comes to that.”

“Speaking of this “we”, how goes the other fight?”

Wrench glanced at his cybernetic feet before replying sadly “we lost the Time-Rider last week. After that most of the others went their separate ways thinking we’d survive longer if we split up and lay low. The only one that’s kept contact with me has been Darklight. He feels somewhat responsible for all this since, Blackhorn is his father, and he wants badly to set things right.”

Captain Freedom nodded and took his shield from his back and handed it to Sebastian Crow with some reluctance “be sure this is put to good use.”

“Don’t worry Captain. I have special plans for this. If I’m right this will allow me to create the supreme soldier, one who will be able to topple Blackhorn’s throne with one blow.”

“I sure hope so” Roger said as he turned his back and started heading back the way he had come.

“How will I contact you once we find a cure?” Wrench asked his backside.

“You won’t” Freedom answered and began to jog even with sharp stabbing pains shooting through his leg.

10 centuries later…
A man took up the shield just in time to deflect a blast of Darkforce energy from one of the horned creatures. The energy flooded through his body as the shield absorbed it and redirected it. He felt like he had just been given the strength of ten men. The rumors were true. After the last of the old heroes died rumors surfaced about an unfinished project that would give Earth a chance to repel Lord Blackhorn. Most didn’t believe them thinking it nothing more than false hope. But he alone continued to search for the truth of this project.

Now here he was just outside an old abandoned laboratory that once belonged to the one called Wrench, this isolated stronghold in the middle of a barren wasteland would now serve as his headquarters in the fight against Blackhorn.

Posted: 05 Oct 2012 13:56

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Awesome, I love it! Cool to know my image inspired this.

Bleak setting, but fun to see the fight goes on even as so many heroes go by the way-side.

Great tie-in to your previous Soldier-Supreme/Omega-Man stories. Can't wait for next part!

Posted: 05 Oct 2012 14:00

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Awesome, even though you killed Time-Rider.

I like stories of the future. Keeps you guessing as to what is coming up next.

Sorry Tim, all our heroes had to go eventually. At least he was one of the last ones. The others would have died out within the ten years that followed leading up to Soldier Supreme taking up the shield.

Posted: 05 Oct 2012 18:00

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Oh well. I guess you are right about that. We all got to go some time. The longer the better though.

Posted: 06 Oct 2012 07:00 Last Edited By: Rick Jones

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Maybe later somebody can go back in time and warn present day Time-Rider?

Things do look bad, although they usually do whenever Blackhorn is around.

Posted: 06 Oct 2012 23:46

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its always possible Rick

I updated this part of the story. I figured 10 years later wasn't long enough. A thousand years would put it close in line with the original timeline that I had written before. I didn't want Soldier Supreme to be too early to the game.